diff --git a/javadoc/plugin.jelly b/javadoc/plugin.jelly
index 8f28fbba..1a3678f6 100644
--- a/javadoc/plugin.jelly
+++ b/javadoc/plugin.jelly
@@ -172,11 +172,12 @@
         bottom="${copyright}"
         stylesheetfile="${maven.javadoc.stylesheet}"
         additionalparam="${maven.javadoc.additionalparam}"
-        useexternalfile="${maven.javadoc.useexternalfile}">
+        useexternalfile="${maven.javadoc.useexternalfile}"
+        sourcepath="${pom.build.sourceDirectory}">
     
         <!-- sourceSet is set by the javadoc:check-needed function -->
         <ant:fileset refid="sourceSet" />
-    
+
         <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.javadoc.source') != null}">
           <ant:setProperty name="source" value="${maven.javadoc.source}" />
         </j:if>
diff --git a/javadoc/src/plugin-test/.cvsignore b/javadoc/src/plugin-test/.cvsignore
index 656d1e86..64d85f5a 100644
--- a/javadoc/src/plugin-test/.cvsignore
+++ b/javadoc/src/plugin-test/.cvsignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 gump.xml
 *.log
-target
\ No newline at end of file
+targetdist
+dist
+target
diff --git a/javadoc/src/plugin-test/maven.xml b/javadoc/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
index 4b0aa5a9..60b6274c 100644
--- a/javadoc/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
+++ b/javadoc/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@
   </goal>
   
   <goal name="test-javadoc">
-    <delete dir="${maven.build.dir}/docs/apidocs" failonerror="false"/>
+    <delete dir="${maven.build.dir}" failonerror="false"/>
     <attainGoal name="maven-javadoc-plugin:report"/>
     <assert:assertFileExists file="${maven.build.dir}/docs/apidocs/index.html"/>
+    <!-- assert that doc-files are copied - Issue MPJAVADOC-24 -->
+    <assert:assertFileExists file="${maven.build.dir}/docs/apidocs/org/apache/maven/doc-files/example.txt"/>
   </goal>
   
   <goal name="test-javadoc-jar">
diff --git a/javadoc/src/plugin-test/src/main/org/apache/maven/doc-files/example.txt b/javadoc/src/plugin-test/src/main/org/apache/maven/doc-files/example.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..78264689
--- /dev/null
+++ b/javadoc/src/plugin-test/src/main/org/apache/maven/doc-files/example.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+This an example
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/javadoc/src/plugin-test/src/main/org/apache/maven/package.html b/javadoc/src/plugin-test/src/main/org/apache/maven/package.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9004261e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/javadoc/src/plugin-test/src/main/org/apache/maven/package.html
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<html>
+<head></head>
+<body>Package documentation.<br/> <a href="doc-files/example.txt">Example</a></body>
+</html>
\ No newline at end of file